This Machine Rising - Dropkick Murphys and the Songs of Woody Guthrie

The aim of this particular post is not an examination of the lyrical content of the Woody Guthrie songs that the Dropkick Murphys have written the music for but a rather a bringing together in one place of the albums, the new documentary and a recent live show from Hellfest 2024 to enjoy, play loud, dance, sing-a-long and marvel that songs written so long ago have the ability to speak into our lives decades after Guthrie first put pen to paper. Because we have no idea how Woody Guthrie himself would have created the music for these songs, we are left in the hands of a band from Boston who are largely known for their Celtic Punk sound to do it for us. The fact that they have created two excellent albums from their sessions and barely lost sight of their own unique sound is a testament to the quality of the songs and their own desire to show musically that Guthrie still has something to say.

A couple of days ago the Dropkick Murphys relased their documentary 'This Machine Rising' that spotlights the making of their albums 'This Machine Still Kills Facists' (2022) and 'Okemah Rising' (2023) that feature the lyrics of Woody Guthrie.

 "This Machine Rising tells the story of the acoustic songs we wrote around a pile of Woody Guthrie’s unpublished lyrics. These songs get to the core of what the band believes in — and what we’ve always stood for...Acoustic folk and protest music has always been one huge chunk of the puzzle that makes up Dropkick Murphys. We were trying to find lyrics to hit the same areas that were important to us – social and economic injustice, organizing the working class, standing up to fascism or conservative values that we don’t agree with, fighting for the working class people…There are a lot of similarities in the band’s mindset. To read these lyrics that were written in the ‘30s or ‘40s that are so apropos to today, it’s kind of scary and powerful at the same time because it’s so relevant now."  Ken Casey (Lead Vocalist)

Listen and Watch Videos from the album

 

Listen and Watch Videos from the album

The lyrics of Woody Guthrie were not new to the Dropkick Murphys, they had first used them on the 'Blackout' album in 2003 with the song Gonna Be A Blackout Tonight:

Also on 'The Warriors Code' album (2005) with I'm Shipping Up To Boston: 

One of the things I love about the Dropkicks is that they have a bond with their community and a love for the working man and any injustice done to workers. When they were last in the UK they took the song All You Fonies and rewrote parts of it in support of the Union workers:

"In support of all our Union friends in the UK fighting the good fight against the elitist Tory political party we made this music video in association with the RMT (The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers). On our recent UK shows we changed the words to the song All You Fonies (Bound To Lose) to All You Tories in support of the striking railroad and transit workers, nurses , fire fighters, teachers, postal workers, ambulance staff and health workers . The song is recorded Live at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff Wales and the live video footage is from Cardiff and the Wembley Arena show in London. Animation provided courtesy of the RMT. Best of luck in your struggle friends. Yours in Solidarity, Dropkick Murphys"

 The band will be out touring the UK in 2025, here's the dates:

Feb 04: Birmingham O2 Academy
Feb 05: Glasgow O2 Academy
Feb 06: Manchester Academy
Feb 07: Cardiff Utilita Arena
Feb 08: London Alexandra Palace

If you have never seen them live then their recent set at Hellfest 2022 will be a good introduction (the 2024 show I can't embed but you can watch it here)

 

Woody Guthrie - Born on This Day in 1912

Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie was born on this day in 1912!

Woody Guthrie was an American singer-songwriter and musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional, and children's songs, along with ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This machine kills fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is "This Land Is Your Land". Many of his recorded songs are archived in the Library of Congress. Songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Hunter, Harry Chapin, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Andy Irvine, Joe Strummer, Billy Bragg, Jerry Garcia, Jay Farrar, Bob Weir, Jeff Tweedy, Bob Childers, Sammy Walker and Tom Paxton have acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence.

To honor Woody Guthrie today I thought I'd post some of his music and a great Documentary that was made by the BBC in 1988. Well worth watching if you have never seen it before.

 1-01. Woody Guthrie - Pastures Of Plenty     2:29
1-02. Woody Guthrie - This Land Is Your Land     2:19
1-03. Woody Guthrie - House Of The Rising Sun     2:54
1-04. Woody Guthrie - Hard Ain't It Hard     2:35
1-05. Woody Guthrie - I Ride An Old Paint     2:35
1-06. Woody Guthrie - Blow The Man Down     2:34
1-07. Woody Guthrie - John Henry     2:46
1-08. Woody Guthrie - Hard Travellin'     2:13
1-09. Woody Guthrie - Car Song     1:51
1-10. Woody Guthrie - Talking Dust Bowl Blues     3:29
1-11. Woody Guthrie - Do Re Mi     2:36
1-12. Woody Guthrie - Gypsy Davy     2:53
1-13. Woody Guthrie  - Vigilante Man     3:27
1-14. Woody Guthrie  - Pretty Boy Floyd     3:11
1-15. Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston - Buffalo Gals     2:35
1-16. Woody Guthrie - Mule Skinner Blues     2:50
1-17. Woody Guthrie - Wreck Of The Old '97     2:14
1-18. Woody Guthrie  - Oregon Trail     2:50
1-19. Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, & Sonny Terry - Jack-Hammer Blues     2:39
1-20. Woody Guthrie - Better World A-Comin'     3:07
1-21. Woody Guthrie - I Ain't Got No Home     2:47
1-22. Woody Guthrie - Blowin' Down This Room Feeling Bad     3:02
1-23. Woody Guthrie - Dust Pneumonia Blues     2:43
1-24. Woody Guthrie - The Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done     2:22
1-25. Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry, & Leadbelly - We Shall Be Free     3:07
2-01. Woody Guthrie - Sinking Of The Reuben James     3:02
2-02. Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston - Sally Don't You Grieve     2:25
2-03. Woody Guthrie - Talking Sailor Blues     3:04
2-04. Woody Guthrie - Two Good Men     3:48
2-05. Woody Guthrie - Grand Coulee Dam     2:11
2-06. Woody Guthrie  - Chisholm Trail     2:26
2-07. Woody Guthrie - Ranger's Command     2:51
2-08. Woody Guthrie - Jesse James     3:00
2-09.  Woody Guthrie - Dead Or Alive     2:55
2-10. Woody Guthrie - Whoopee Ti Yi Yo, Get Along Little Dogies     2:50
2-11. Woody Guthrie  - 1913 Massacre     3:37
2-12. Woody Guthrie  - Jesus Christ     2:40
2-13. Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, & Sonny Terry - When That Great Ship Went Down     3:20
2-14. Woody Guthrie, Cisco Houston, & Sonny Terry - Cumberland Gap     2:21
2-15. Woody Guthrie - Ramblin' Round Your City     2:17
2-16. Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston - New York Town     2:38
2-17. Woody Guthrie - Tom Joad (Part 2)     3:31
2-18. Woody Guthrie - When The Curfew Blows     1:46
2-19. Woody Guthrie - Jarama Valley     2:55
2-20. Woody Guthrie - New Found Land     2:07
2-21. Woody Guthrie - Slipknot     2:34
2-22. Woody Guthrie - Talking Columbia     2:30
2-23. Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston - Bury Me Beneath The Willow     2:29
2-24. Woody Guthrie - Ship In The Sky     2:35
2-25. Woody Guthrie - So Long It's Been Good To Know You     2:48

The above words by Woody Guthrie I'm sure have been used many times and one of the places I've heard part of them used was by Mike Peters of The Alarm in introducing the song One Guitar (written by Willie Nile)

Woody Guthrie

BBC Arena 1988

Rewind: 1998 - Billy Bragg and Wilco Unleash Woody!

Released 23rd June 1998

Elektra Records

Nora Guthrie's liner notes in Mermaid Avenue indicate that it was her intention that the songs be given to a new generation of musicians who would be able to make the songs relevant to a younger generation. Nora Guthrie contacted Bragg, who in turn approached Wilco and asked them to participate in the project as well. Wilco agreed, and in addition to recording with Bragg in Ireland, they were given their own share of songs to finish.

The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and went on to place fourth on the Pazz and Jop Critics Poll for 1998 (right behind Bob Dylan's Live 1966).

For Further Listening:

Mermaid Avenue Volume 2.

Mermaid Avenue Volume 3.

Woody Guthrie

If Woody Guthrie had still been alive today he would have been 101 years old. He died though in 1967 from complications related to Huntingdon's Disease.

His life and music have been a constant source of inspiration to many folks from Bob Dylan to Billy Bragg, and Bruce Springsteen to U2. Click on the links to enjoy the music.

BBC Arena - Woody Guthrie (1988).

This Land is Your Land.

All You Facists Are Bound To Lose.

Vigilante Man.

Talking Dustbowl Blues.

I Ain't Got A Home.

COVER VERSIONS OF WOODY'S SONGS.

Jackhammer John - Pete Seeger and Richie Havens.

Plane Wreck At Los Gatos - Bruce Springsteen.

I Ain't Got A Home - Lucinda Williams.

Dear Mrs Roosevelt - Bob Dylan.

Union Maid - Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie.

Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key - Billy Bragg, Wilco and Natalie Merchant.

Bugeye Jim - Billy Bragg.

Jesus Christ - U2.

East Texas Red - Arlo Guthrie.

Bourgeois Blues - Taj Mahal.

Do Re Mi - John Mellencamp.

Phildelphia Lawyer - Willie Nelson.

Rock Island - Little Richard and Fishbone.